Child of the Prophecy
by Ms. Blueberry Muffin
Summary: The gods would do anything to save their precious Olympus, and that includes taking Percy Jackson from his mother at age four, to train him to be the greatest warrior in all of history: a worthy oponent of the rising evil, Kronos. However, at age fourteen, Percy is sent away from Olympus and down to the mortal world. Is he really as prepared as the gods thought he'd be?
1. I Don't Get Cake

Alright, so this is my first fanfiction. It's summer. I'm bored. Why not write a fanfiction for my favorite series ever?

Hope you enjoy :)

**Disclaimer: I own absolutely no characters or places in this story so far, nor do I claim to do so. It all belongs to the wonderful Rick Riordan, who I am totally jealous of for creating a character like Percy. But, I do not own him. *sigh***

* * *

You know how most people don't really have memories from when they were really young? Like, you may have a couple really significant ones, but you just can't remember a typical day as a toddler? Me? I wish I couldn't. But no matter how hard I try to forget, I still remember the day my destiny began to unfurl: my fourth birthday.

Let's start this tale from the start, shall we?

About fifteen or so years ago, a man stepped foot onto the Montauk beach in New York. He was tall, tan, and muscular. Dark hair, sea green eyes, and a confident smile. All the women swooned over this man. He wore Bermuda shorts and a t-shirt displaying a cartoon tide coming in on a calm ocean. Just one look at this guy, and anybody could see that he _loved_ the ocean.

Sally Jackson wasn't like the other girls. She was not swooning, and she certainly wasn't going to go flirt with him like the others. She was at Montauk with her friends, enjoying her summer vacation. But what caught this man's attention was her sight. I don't mean that she had 20-20 vision. I mean that she could see things the others couldn't. She saw things that most people would call myths.

They aren't myths.

What really caught the Beach-dude's attention was when everybody had been ushered inside of their cabins after a vicious dog came barreling onto the shores. They all saw a foaming, rabid pit bull. She saw an enormous black creature resembling a bloodhound, except for the fact that it was the size of a garbage truck and had glowing red eyes. Sally Jackson had seen things like this her whole life. She thought she was crazy, because everybody else was blind to the truth. Except beach-dude.

He knew exactly what the monster was: a hellhound straight from Tartarus.

Yes, I mean Tartarus. And yes, I mean hellhound. Everything you've heard about in Greek mythology? It's all true.

It's my life.

And if you haven't guessed, it's Sally and Beach-dude's lives as well.

Sally finally knew she wasn't crazy. She finally felt at peace. And the fact that they could both see the truth led them to grow closer. They fell in love.

And later, Sally gave birth to son. A boy with black hair and sea-foam green eyes, just like his father. A son they both knew had a hard life ahead of him. A son they knew had a great destiny.

That was me. Sally Jackson is my mom. Beach-dude? He's my father.

I'm Percy Jackson.

Beach-dude didn't stay with my mom. He left, but my mom wasn't upset. She knew why he had to go. The hard part was raising me, knowing what I had to soon go through.

I don't think she realized how soon.

Apparently, I'd been a tough baby. I was never quiet and never still. I was as stubborn as a rock. I could tell my mom had a hard time with me, but she tried her best not to show it. She loved me too much.

Then, I was blowing out my four striped candles, my mom cheering next to me. I wished for cake. Instead, I got kidnapped.

Okay, so I wouldn't exactly call it "kidnapped". More like, "snatched for my own benefit". Even now, at fourteen years old, I can still remember that day as if it just happened.

The flames on my blue striped candles had just been extinguished, when everything seemed to slow down. Shadows seemed to grow and fill the room, until we were in darkness.

"Percy?" My mother called.

I wanted to answer. I wanted to call out to her, reach out to her. But a cold and powerful voice spoke for me. "Sally, your time is up,"

I squinted trying to see anything, but it was pitch black.

"No," My mother said, sounding confident, but I could tell that, inside, she was afraid. She knew that voice, and she knew what it meant. She was going to lose her little boy. "Please," She pleaded. "The prophecy doesn't apply for another twelve years. Give us more time,"

The thundering voice shook, and the room rumbled, as if the man speaking were a storm right in our kitchen. "We need all the time we can get. You're lucky we let you have him at all,"

I could tell my mother was crying. "Percy doesn't need this,"

It's for his own good," The voice boomed.

"No, it's only for your good!" She replied in an angered voice. I had never heard her use that tone before. I was confused. Nothing the two said was making any sense. I felt my skin prickle, like static electricity was popping along my neck. I wanted the light to come back, and I wanted to be able to see my mom again. The situation was terrifying, and it still scared me, even now that I understand what was going on.

The room shook. "It's for the entire world's good!" The noise was so loud, I thought my eardrums would burst. I started to cry.

"Percy!" My mom called. I could feel her reach for me, and I tried to reach back, but I was frozen in place. No matter how hard I struggled, I couldn't move a muscle. "Percy!" She called again, more desperately.

There was a flash, and for a moment, I could see my mother's face: sheer terror.

That was the last I saw of her.

The next few moments were a blur. I felt like I was flying, frying, and being squeezed into pulp all at once. During that moment, I thought I was dying. But when I opened my eyes, they nearly popped out of my head.

In front of my was a narrow stone pathway, winding up farther and farther. In the far distance, I made out a tall mountain with a snowy peak. Dotted around its base were large marble palaces. There were so many, and they looked amazing. I saw a coliseum and amphitheaters, terraces and markets. Golden statues and braziers dotted the city. I looked up to see the largest palace. It was the most beautiful sight I had ever seen. Even at four, I knew was true beauty really was.

So what does a curious four-year-old do? He ventures into the unknown. I wasn't scared of the place, but I did get a tugging feeling in my gut that told me to leave; however, I blatantly ignored it, too much in awe and bliss.

After a few moments, I looked behind me, and my eyes nearly popped out again. I had just walked away from a single elevator. There was nothing behind it. Clouds seemed to surround the area, and I set my gaze towards the east. This couldn't be real. I was in a city in the clouds.

To me, I had always imagined heaven like this. Maybe I had died, like I thought. I had heard good things about this place, so I started to move faster. In fact, the city seemed to energize me and fill me with a longing happiness. I was giddily skipping by the time I reached the first few people.

One was a big buff dude with small dark sunglasses. He had a crew cut and he was covered in scars, as if he fought a lot of people. Something told me that this guy always won. He scowled a little when he saw me, but said nothing. His look alone sent a message to me: _beat it._

The other was a woman. One look and I was in a trance. Her beauty was mesmerizing. She had curly hair that fell in cascades down her back. She wore a blue silky dress, her fingers perfectly manicured. She smiled at me, and I almost forgot who I was. She was perfect.

I blurted, "You're really, really pretty, lady," Being four and all, this comment didn't really embarrass me. The dude resembling a biker scoffed while the women stepped closer to me and smiled like I had just made her day.

"Thank you!" She said in a voice as perfect as her looks. "Who might you be, cutie?" **(A/N: Honestly, I agree with Aphrodite, even though Percy is fictional. I mean, what girl that has read PJO hasn't wished Percy was real? Um, sorry for the interruption.)** I admit being called a "cutie" made me flush a little, but it made me feel really good. It's not like I'd never been called cute before, but it sounded ten times better coming from this woman.

"Percy Jackson," I said, bouncing on my heels.

"I'm Aphrodite," She said, shaking my hand.

The biker dude got impatient."What in Hades are you doing here, kid?" He asked, obviously miffed I was stealing the attention of his beautiful lady.

"Now Ares," Aphrodite said gently but powerfully. I looked between the two of them, and for a second, Aphrodite looked like my mom. That image sent a jolt through my spine. Where was she? Was she here too? What had happened earlier?

"I'm looking for my mom," I answered.

Aphrodite blinked. "Is your mother a goddess?"

I thought about that. "She looks like one," I actually didn't really know what a goddess looked like, but I had heard others call really pretty women "goddesses".

"Aww," She cooed. Aphrodite seemed to think for a moment. "What about your father?"

I was confused. It had always just been me and my mother. Did I really have a father? I simply shrugged, not knowing how to answer that question. This sent a knowing look into her eyes, as if she knew my father. Then, out of the blue, she splashed water on me. I didn't even see where the water came from. I looked at her in slight annoyance. The water dripped off my shirt, but I didn't get wet. I never got wet.

She tapped her chin while Ares tapped his foot impatiently. "Percy, I think I know who your father is,"

"You do?" My eyes widened. So I did have a father! Why had I never met him before? A million questions bubbled in my head and flowed out through my mouth. "Where is he? What is he like? Is he old? Does he like the color blue? Will he -" Aphrodite placed a finger on my lips, gently telling me to stop talking. Ares chuckled.

"Why don't we go find out," She declared with a grin. She took my hand, which was warm and soft. I held on tightly. Ares stood on Aphrodite's other side and draped an arm casually over her shoulders. He looked pretty smug, until Aphrodite pushed his arm off, giving him a look. Yeah, Ares definitely did not like me.

He grumbled something about stupid sea spawn and sword practice, then gruffly left. Aphrodite didn't seem to notice. She led me towards some of the smaller palaces. I was overjoyed and started skipping again. Aphrodite giggled. "Percy, you are seriously the most adorable boy I've ever met,"

I replied with a sheepish grin, making her giggle harder. "Aphrodite?" I asked, making her diminish her laughs.

"Yes, Percy?" The way she said my name made me swoon a little.

"Are you a goddess?" The question had just popped in my mind. It would make sense that this woman was either a goddess or an angel.

She laughed lightly. "Yes, Percy. I am the goddess of beauty and love,"

I nodded. "That makes sense," I said with a smile. I guess I was just too adorable, because Aphrodite's face was shining.

"Cute and sweet," She mused. "You can expect a wonderful love story in your future, Percy," I didn't quite understand what she meant, but I assumed it was a good thing that the goddess of love was going to guide my love life. Toddlers don't really care about this stuff normally, but even the darkest person would have felt giddy about love around Aphrodite.

Before I could reply, a chill went through my spine, like a cold chunk of ice was using my back as a water slide. I stopped dead in my tracks.

"What is it, Percy?" Aphrodite sounded concerned. I looked around, but saw only brilliant temples and other architecture. Nothing that could make me feel cold and scared. It was the same feeling I got earlier after I blew out my candles and everything got dark. That booming voice... and now my mom was gone. Something told me that the man who caused this whole mess was near. I wanted to tell Aphrodite about all of this, but I wanted to seem brave in front of her. I plastered on a confident look and shook my head. "Nothing,"

She eyed me a little, obviously not believing me, but shrugged. We continued walking. A large structure loomed before us. Other civilians skirted around it, as if there was something absolutely terrifying about the place. They eyed it wearily. I could hear rumbling inside. I didn't want to go near that building, but that was exactly where Aphrodite was leading me towards.

"Percy, how did you get here?" Aphrodite asked, breaking the silence. Her smile was gone, replaced by a curious look.

I thought about that for a moment. "I don't know," I mumbled. "I woke up by the elevator," I gestured with my head towards where I had come from.

Aphrodite nodded in understanding, but she still had that look of curiosity plastered on her beautiful features. "What happened before you woke up?"

"I had a dream about winning a NASCAR race,"

She stifled a giggle. "Before that,"

My eyebrows furrowed. I still wasn't sure what had happened. I hoped I would find out soon and go home. I was starting to feel a little homesick. I missed my mother. Nevertheless, I said what this whole city made me think: "I think I died,"

I thought Aphrodite would confirm what I said. Or that she might look at me like I was psycho. Or try to comfort me. But she simply burst out in laughter, hugging her sides. This went on for a minute, and I just stood there awkwardly, feeling really stupid. While Aphrodite wiped away some tears, I asked, "So this isn't heaven?"

Her charming smile had returned. She shrugged a little, as if saying so-so. "No, child," She turned to fully face me and took both of my hands, making my cheeks heat up. "This is Olympus, home of the gods,"

* * *

So, what did ya'll think? I actually pulled an all-nighter last night and spent a few hours writing this. It was just a random thought that popped into my brain yesterday. I'm definitely continuing this story, whether you guys think it stinks or not.

Please, PLEASE review! I love constructed criticism. It'll really help improve my writing.

I can already tell I'll love everybody that reads or reviews, or anything like that. Thanks guys!

~Ms. Blueberry Muffin


	2. I Make a Few Immortal Friends

Hello again! I would've updated last night, but the Internet was being stupid and wouldn't cooperate. So here we are.

**Disclaimer: Again, I don't own anything in Percy Jackson and the Olympians.**

* * *

Recap:

My eyebrows furrowed. I still wasn't sure what had happened. I hoped I would find out soon and go home. I was starting to feel a little homesick. I missed my mother. Nevertheless, I said what this whole city made me think: "I think I died,"

I thought Aphrodite would confirm what I said. Or that she might look at me like I was psycho. Or try to comfort me. But she simply burst out in laughter, hugging her sides. This went on for a minute, and I just stood there awkwardly, feeling really stupid. While Aphrodite wiped away some tears, I asked, "So this isn't heaven?"

Her charming smile had returned. She shrugged a little, as if saying so-so. "No, child," She turned to fully face me and took both of my hands, making my cheeks heat up. "This is Olympus, home of the gods,"

**Chapter Two: I Make A Few Immortal Friends**

People say I'm gullible, but they never tell me what it means. But it was always in a situation like this one. I believed what everyone said to me. I believed everything I saw. Recently, when my mom dropped me off at Pre-K, I swore I saw a snake woman standing across the street. She glared at me, but made no attempt to come any closer. My mom saw too, but she refused to let me believe it actually happened.

"Percy," She'd say whenever I asked her. "You have a wild imagination," And just like that, she'd shrug it off, and I fell for it. I even fell for her casual behavior when I saw a tall man with one eye at the park, hiding in the shadows. My mom told me it was time to head back home, but I wasn't upset to leave the park early; the man was watching me intensely, as if I were his next meal. Still, my mom acted like it was nothing.

Aphrodite's statement made me feel like that. I expected her to say, _Gotcha! _and laugh like a lunatic. I didn't want to feel even dumber in front of her, so I raised an eyebrow in disbelief.

That set her off.

While she giggled until she was hoarse, I glanced around the place. I may be four, but I knew what Olympus was. My mom reads me stories from Greek mythology every night. In fact, she named me after the first Perseus: the guy who killed the gorgon Medusa and ended up marrying Andromeda and killing his grandfather by accident. The point was, I was not clueless about Olympus, which is what made me extremely suspicious. I had grown up believing they were myths...

I interrupted her fit. "So you really are Aphrodite?" It was more of a statement than a question. She nodded, and I continued. "I always thought Greek mythology was just a bunch of stories,"

"You're familiar with this?" She sounded a little surprised.

I nodded. "Mom tells me about Greek mythology, but she made it seem like a bunch of bedtime stories," My gaze traveled the city. Even though I'd been here for a little while, I was still in shock. What made this even more shocking was that I knew I was on Olympus. It was a real place. Everything in those books were real. That made a big difference in the way I saw the city around me.

Aphrodite was quiet for a moment, until she spoke up in a soft voice. "Tell me, Percy," I turned towards her. "Is this a bedtime story?" She gestured to our surroundings.

I didn't even hesitate. "No way,"

"Am I a bedtime story?"

I shook my head. Aphrodite felt like a real person. This definitely wasn't a dream, either. I could use all my senses; I felt the slight breeze, smelled a bakery down the path, felt the cool marble columns. No dream was this vivid. And I wanted to believe that this was real. It explained so much to me.

Though, there was still a lot I didn't know yet.

We had reached the menacing building. The presence made me stop in my tracks. My legs felt like gooey marshmallows. Aphrodite pranced right in, not even the slightest bit hesitant. I looked behind me and saw civilians glance at me. They silently goaded me to leave, as if my life would be on the line if I followed Aphrodite. In a way, they were right.

_Well, what is it? Fight or flight?_

I took a deep breath. My mind, body, and everyone in the streets watching told me _flight._ Aphrodite told me _fight._

Fight it is then.

What did I expect? I don't know, maybe a two-ton fire-breathing dragon. Or a monster truck rally. Maybe even a miniature hurricane.

I braced myself and stepped into the torchlight - and saw four men playing hearts. Not exactly what I was expecting, which is why I stood dumbfounded for a moment in the doorway. Besides the card table, the room lacked furniture. There were a few random deadly weapons scattered in the corners, but other than that, it was just a plain, unused room. No wall decorations, no big fancy architecture like the rest of the buildings. Aphrodite gestured for me to come closer, which I did, a little more positive about this whole situation.

We stood by the card table. None of the guys looked up. They were too engrossed in their game. One had to take the trick, which included three hearts. He grumbled about cheating and the room shook a little. No one seemed to notice or care but me.

"_Eh-hem_," Aphrodite somehow cleared her throat in a lady-like way. Still, not one single man looked up. She blinked, stunned. I could tell Aphrodite wasn't used to getting so little attention, because she hit the table with her palm and stood with her arms crossed.

Finally, one spoke in a bored tone. "What do you want this time, Aphrodite?" He had hair the color of a thunderstorm - gray and black - with a trimmed beard. His eyes were steely, his face proud. He radiated more power than I'd ever felt in my life, and I got the urge to bow down at his large feet. I felt the need to obey his every command. I knew who this was: Zeus, Lord of the Skies, King of the gods. He was the one causing the thunder, which totally made sense to me now. "Can't you see we are in the middle of a very important meeting?"

Something about his voice startled me. I couldn't place it, though.

Aphrodite had quite the opposite reaction as me to Zeus. She adjusted one of her bracelets and casually leaned against the table, choosing to ignore what Zeus said. "I brought everyone a present," This comment caused the other three to look up, eagerness displayed all over their features.

"Can we have it now?" said a young blonde guy who could easily pass off as a California surfer dude - tan, muscular, and handsome, with a slightly crazy look in his eyes, as if he were a fun-loving kind of guy.

Aphrodite's smile was sweet and wicked at the same time. "Sure," The surfer and a young guy with salt and pepper hair and jogging clothes exchanged glances.

_I guess this is where I make my appearance._

Just as I thought, Aphrodite turned around and beckoned me over, looking giddy with excitement. I stepped forward, and she picked me up as if I were her own child. If any other lady did that, I would have freaked out, but Aphrodite reminded me of my mom. Not just the way she looked, but also how she made me feel like I was important. Like I was the only thing that mattered. I was actually special. I felt safe from the power the four men emitted.

Two of men looked confused. One looked as if the world exploded into a million pieces right before his eyes. The last dropped his hand of cards, which fluttered to the ground. His eyes narrowed.

Aphrodite seemed unfazed. "This is Percy Jackson. Him and I are good buddies now,"

Zeus lifted up a shaking finger to point at my face but spoke to Aphrodite. "Where did you get that?"

"_That?_" The surfer dude asked incredulously. "_That _is a _him,_"

Zeus chose to ignore him by picking up his fallen cards.

Aphrodite rolled her eyes at the Lord of the Skies. "Be polite and introduce yourselves,"

The blonde guy immediately stood up and shook my hand forcefully. I guess a four-year-old doesn't really have the right to say this, but this man reminded me of a little kid slightly off his rocker. "I am Apollo, god of music, poetry, prophecy, healing, light, archery -"

"Please, Apollo," The man in the jogging suit said. "Your ego is hurting me. Try to contain it a little," He turned to me and shook my hand. "I'm Hermes, the messenger god. I'm also the god of thieves, commerce, and travel. I'm considered the cleverest and fastest of the gods, and I invented the Internet -"

"Oh, who's egotistical now?" Apollo said with a grin.

"Silence," Zeus murmured in a controlled tone. I drew back a little, slightly scared by him. He looked at me as if contemplating on how to kill me. By the looks of it - slowly and painfully. "I am Zeus, Lord of the Skies," He made no attempt to shake my hand.

We turned to the last man, the one who still looked in shock. He recovered after noticing five stares and held out his hand. "I'm Poseidon..." He said in a sort of daze as we shook hands.

I nodded. "God of the sea,"

"And earthquakes, horses -"

"You're my dad, " I said, cutting Apollo off from his rambling. "Right?" I didn't mean to sound so unsure. One look at Poseidon brought back an old memory: a smile. It wasn't too long after I was born. My mother held me in her arms while a man brightly smiled at me. It left me feeling warm, but then I saw Poseidon again now. He looked scared. It made me feel a little hurt and confused. Was he scared of me, his own son that he'd never even met?

He glanced at Zeus, who trained his vision at me, burning a hole of hate through my soul. After too long a moment, Poseidon said, "Yes," then winced, as if Zeus's opinion mattered most. However, Zeus did not have a change in expression.

"I knew it!" Aphrodite exclaimed. "Poseidon, Percy looks _a lot _like you,"

Apollo and Hermes murmured agreement.

Zeus tapped the table impatiently. "Now may you answer my question, Aphrodite?" They seemed to have a glaring contest.

Zeus probably won, because Aphrodite said haughtily, "Percy was wandering all alone. He said he woke up by the elevator. I found him adorable, so I took him in to meet his _father_," She pointedly glared daggers at Poseidon, who just shifted slightly in his seat.

"Where did you come from?" Hermes asked.

Aphrodite looked at me, waiting for me to answer the question. I furrowed my eyebrows. Where did I live? In an apartment with my mom and _Gabe_. Just the thought of him made me shudder.

I guess I should explain who he is.

I still don't know why my mom married that idiot. Gabe Ugliano is not attractive, and he makes hardly any money. He sits in our living room every day, playing poker, drinking beer, smoking cigars, and never picking up a single thing. His attitude is horrible. He's never said _thank you, _let alone a simple _please. _It's as if he was born to ruin my life. Gabe hates me. In fact, he's more than once told me that he'd love to throw me in a dumpster full of hungry coyotes. The only thing worse than his mean personality is his odor. It's as if he bathes daily in a mixture of garlic, sweat, and old cigars. Yeah, not a delicious combination.

I've asked my mom why she married Gabe before. I'm still waiting for an answer.

Anyway, to answer the god's question, I said, "Manhattan,"

"So, right below us," Apollo clarified.

I wasn't quite sure what he meant. I guess the look on my face gave it away, because Apollo laughed. "Olympus is above the Empire State Building, high up in the sky. Hundreds of feet below us on Earth is your city: New York. You were living below Olympus. Cool, huh?" He concluded with a happy expression.

I looked down, thinking about that. How come I'd never seen it before? I had lived in the same apartment building my whole life. I've looked up at the sky millions of times. In fact, I've even been to the empire state building before. So how could I have been so blunt and not seen a giant, magnificent city like Olympus in the sky?

"The mist blocks mortals down on Earth from seeing Olympus," Poseidon spoke up, as if reading my thoughts. "That's why they don't know we are here,"

Well, that didn't really explain much, but I decided not to press the matter. Like, what was mist?

Aphrodite readjusted her grip on me. I was grateful because her long, manicured nails were digging into my skin. "Well, if you all don't mind, I'm going to show Percy around,"

"Mind if we join?" Apollo asked, gesturing to himself and Hermes, who smiled sweetly, like a baby angel.

Aphrodite rolled her eyes. "Sure," The other two gods fist pumped and jumped up to join us.

Just before we were out of earshot, I heard Zeus mutter, "Well, the game was ruined anyway. I guess I am the hearts champion yet again,"

"Way to show up that dumb satyr, kid!" Apollo grinned, giving me a high-five. "I think I'll compose a haiku about how awesome you are,"

Hermes and Athena groaned. Apparently, Apollo was not good with poetry, which was funny because he was the god of poetry. Albeit that fact, we let him proceed. He took a moment to think - his lips pursed, eyes squinting - before he lit up and cleared his throat dramatically.

_Perseus Jackson_

I wondered how he knew my real first name. Of course, he is an all-knowing Olympian...

_He climbed a tree really fast_

_He's a freaking beast_

Apollo bowed to imaginary clapping, congratulating himself. I seriously wondered if this god was mental.

We were all chatting and laughing. These three really liked me. When Aphrodite told us that it was time for me to go to bed, we all groaned. I hadn't even realized that the sky was dark, but I suddenly felt really tired. I yawned, and Apollo picked me up. "Come on, squirt," He said, heading towards some smaller buildings that were no less amazing that the larger ones. I felt like I was hit by a freight train full of magical sleeping dust (if there was such a thing). I had never had so much fun in my life. It really drains a toddler.

Before I could really comprehend much more, I felt myself being placed in a warm comfortable bed, the thick, cool blankets being pulled up to my chin. Someone kissed my the top of my head, and I heard Aphrodite whisper, "Good night, Percy Jackson,"

"Sleep tight," Hermes said.

"Don't let the hellhounds bite," Apollo finished.

I smiled a little at their version of the saying and mumbled an incoherent, "Night," as the light went out, and I drifted off into a fitful sleep.

My dreams were terrifying and real as usual. I found myself walking with Aphrodite, having a nice conversation. We passed by a small shop with big windows and an open roof, and she stopped dead in her tracks. She squealed when she saw a beautiful pearl necklace. "Percy, I'll be right back. I have to check that out," Just like that, she disappeared into the shop. I watched her through the window, when I saw Ares out of the corner of my eye. He looked mad.

"Ares!" I called, waving. He scowled and started to walk away, but sometimes I just can't take a hint. I followed him, sprinting to catch up. "Hi," I said cheerfully.

Ares only rolled his eyes, which I had just noticed were empty sockets of fire. "Kid, you're really not on my friends list,"

"Can I be?" I asked enthusiastically. I thought it'd be great to be friends with Ares. Big, buff, and mean, he'd be able to defend me from anyone.

"Leave me alone," He growled. I didn't show it, but I felt a little hurt. I had thought that Ares might want to be around me like Apollo, Hermes, and Aphrodite did. Then again, I was taking all the attention away from this guy. I could tell that he used to be the center of the circle; I had stolen his spotlight.

"I'm sorry," I blurted out. I knew I should've stayed silent, but now it was too late. "I didn't mean to take Aphrodite's attention away from you. I'll even tell her tomorrow. I just want to be friends," I said, then quickly added, "If that's okay with you,"

Ares seemed to be making a difficult decision. I probably stood there for a few minutes before Ares spoke. "Kid, I suggest you leave Olympus right now,"

I was stunned. I felt like I had been punched in the gut. Even after my apology, Ares still hated me. What more could I do? Heaving an unsteady sigh, I turned away. Maybe the war god was right. Maybe I should leave Olympus. My mom would be down there, waiting for me with her arms open. We would forget this whole ordeal even happened and pick up in our lives where we left off.

But that's not what I wanted.

Still, I started to leave anyway, feeling like I'd done something wrong, but a hand clamped onto my shoulder. I didn't have to turn around to know who it was.

"Not for the reason you're thinking," Ares said, shaking his head. "There's a reason you're here right now. If you didn't know that Olympus was here, you couldn't have made the trip yourself. Someone summoned you."

I blinked. My dream shifted to my birthday party with just my mom and I while Gabe was actually at work because of some "missing inventory emergency". My perfect day had been torn apart when a rumbling voice had taken me away and dropped me off here at Olympus. I could see that scene: the candles on my cake blew out, but this time, the room didn't darken. I could see everything. The sound was muffled, but I could see the room shake, and heard an angry voice, saying, "You're time is up,"

I felt like a had just had a ton of bricks thrown at me, then got trampled by a herd of elephants. I knew why I thought the voice was familiar, and how I got a chill down my spine around this man.

I wanted to wake up. I could feel tears sting my eyes. Pinching my arm, I hoped to see my bedroom again. This was all a nightmare. My mom was still alive.

But even before I opened my eyes and saw that I wasn't home, I knew I was just kidding myself. My eyes shut again, almost involuntarily. I saw more of the scene earlier this evening.

"Percy!" My mother's desperate voice sliced through my heart like knife. I felt myself being pulled away, but not before I saw the look on her face. She was terrified. She was in pain. She couldn't think of anything worse than losing her little boy.

The hairs on the back of my neck raised. The apartment was blasted to bits, and I woke up in a pool of sweat and tears, the horrible truth settling in.

Zeus killed my mother.

* * *

That took awhile to write, but hopefully it was worth it. I'm having a lot of fun writing this story, even though it's only chapter two.

Wow. I absolutely have to give a shout out to my first three reviewers: _Thalia's Royal King_, _riml_, and _SONxOFxCHAOS._ I love you guys :) You deserve presents... which I don't actually have... awkward.

I'm going to try my hardest to update as often as possible. Thanks again guys! R&R!

~Ms. Blueberry Muffin


	3. The Gods May or May Not Hate Me

I know. Kill me for not updating. I give you my permission.

Just kidding.

* * *

Recap:

_I wanted to wake up. I could feel tears sting my eyes. Pinching my arm, I hoped to see my bedroom again. This was all a nightmare. My mom was still alive._

_But even before I opened my eyes and saw that I wasn't home, I knew I was just kidding myself. My eyes shut again, almost involuntarily. I saw more of the scene earlier this evening._

_"Percy!" My mother's desperate voice sliced through my heart like knife. I felt myself being pulled away, but not before I saw the look on her face. She was terrified. She was in pain. She couldn't think of anything worse than losing her little boy._

_The hairs on the back of my neck raised. The apartment was blasted to bits, and I woke up in a pool of sweat and tears, the horrible truth settling in._

_Zeus killed my mother._

Chapter Three: The Gods May or May Not Hate Me

When I woke up, I had that terrible feeling of falling through the air, as if Zeus had ripped Olympus from under my feet. The feeling didn't pass like usual though. My breathing came sharp and quick. I didn't realize I was still silently sobbing.

Why? Why would the King of the gods want to kill my mother? All she ever did was look out for others. She worried about everyone else, but not herself. She wasn't selfish. She wasn't cruel. I doubt she even knew Zeus. Not only did he blast my mother, but he broke her heart right before. I knew what Ares had meant when he said I had to have been summoned to Olympus. Only, it was more like taking me against my own free will and killing my only family than summoning.

One thing still bugged me. Why did Zeus want me? Did he want to kill me too? If he did, he could easily have murdered me the same way he murdered my mom. Why go to so much trouble?

I rubbed my eyes, but they were still puffy and wet. The world spun when I slid out of bed, but that wasn't going to stop me. I felt renewed energy and stormed out of the room, my fists balled. I hoped to look intimidating, but with bed head and blue pajamas, that just doesn't work.

I stepped outside and forgot my anger for almost a millisecond. Olympus still made my breath catch, but I didn't stop to admire the view. My vision was red. All I could think about was how to get revenge on a certain god for murdering the best person in my life. If he wanted to hurt me, I was going to hurt him right back.

There were torches all around the city, so it was easy to see and make my way down the path. I didn't know where I was going, but my feet carried me to the biggest palace on Olympus. The way the sky rumbled around that building told me that King Stupid himself was inside, probably plotting how to kill someone else's mother.

The only time I stopped was outside the doors of the palace (which I assumed was the throne room). Powerful auras were practically pulsing through the marble walls of the throne room, making me reconsider challenging Zeus. What was I, a short and weak child, to an all-powerful immortal being? I almost turned back, but a voice in my head stopped me. _His power is putting these thoughts in your head. Don't listen to him. Don't turn back. _

And with that, I pushed through the doors.

I said a slight prayer of thanks to almost all the gods (I wondered if they heard me, considering they were in this room) when the door opened a crack silently - just enough for me to slip inside. I glanced forward to see the gods, and all my previous courage drained out of my body. The room was huge - bigger than any single space I'd been in. I wouldn't be surprised if a football stadium could fit in the throne room and still have room for parking spaces. Despite the jaw-dropping art and structure in the room, the real reason I froze was the sight of the Olympians -a dozen thirty foot tall celestial men and women, all sitting on thrones in a U-shape around the room, except for one. A young girl sat by a hearth in the middle of the "U". One of the larger thrones was empty. It had a creepy look to it.

The gods were currently in a heated argument.

In all honesty, I was glad for their fighting. They were so mad at each other, they didn't notice me. I'd probably be a smoking pile of ashes or a slimy gecko by now had they all been civilized.

One step forward led to another step, which eventually ended in me scurrying off to the side and hiding behind a pillar. I was close enough to hear most of what they said but still hidden from their sight.

Apollo interrupted Poseidon and a goddess. She had long hair with natural curls, an athletic body, and piercing gray eyes. She scared me, almost more than Zeus did, just because I knew that if she wanted to, she'd cause some damage. Her throne was simple and gray, with an owl on top. This was Athena, goddess of wisdom and war strategy. I knew from many tales (from the past, I suppose) that Poseidon and Athena had a rivalry, so it didn't surprise me that they were practically at each other's throats.

"Guys," Apollo said with his hands up, looking at them both sincerely. After a long and slightly uncomfortable moment, he said, "I'm going to compose a poem about this to make you feel better and resolve your angered feelings. I'll call it, _The Rivalry That Lasted Through the Ages, featuring Athe -_" All the gods stopped him, and Athena and Poseidon both sat down in a huff.

"Well at least that's resolved," A plump, baby-looking man said, with curly black hair and a drunken look to him; it could be none other than Dionysus. The others grumbled in agreeance.

A woman with an older look to her and a shimmering dress that resembled a wheat field spoke up. "May I ask, brother, what you called us together to discuss?" She eyed Zeus. I tried to piece together the clues to figure out who this goddess was - brother of Zeus, throne of grains - and came up with Demeter.

The sky rumbled softly. Zeus shifted in his seat, clasping his hands together and leaning slightly forward. The air in the throne room had a new feel to it: anxiety. The other eleven Olympians turned their attention to Zeus. He seemed to like this. "It's about _that boy,_" He murmured.

Aphrodite's eyebrows furrowed. "Percy?"

It sounded like she was calling me, and I almost stepped out of hiding, but I realized she was talking to Zeus, who nodded.

Hermes cocked his head. "I like the kid, but I wonder how he even got on Olympus,"

This made Zeus looked uncomfortable.

Athena narrowed her eyes. "You know, Father. Why don't you tell us. I've heard quite a lot about this child,"

Everyone watched him intently, including me. My eyebrows scrunched together and I grit my teeth. If Zeus lied about how I got here...

He sighed. "I brought him here,"

That answer didn't seem to be acceptable. Everyone burst out in questions, and Zeus had to stand up and hit his master bolt on the floor to be heard. "I had to. This child could be the prophecy child. I did what must be done,"

Aphrodite stared at Zeus, looking as confused as I felt. Prophecy child? What prophecy? I wondered if Aphrodite was thinking the same thing, but apparently, she already knew this detail. "Well, yes, but what about his mother? He really misses her,"

Zeus was silent, so Aphrodite continued. "Couldn't you have at least explained to him why he had to leave his mother? Or at least let him see her now,"

Zeus seemed to have trouble hearing this. He shook his head a few times, fear starting to show through his stormy eyes. "That won't be possible,"

More eruptions occurred, but Zeus didn't stop them this time.

The goddess who sat at Zeus's left side (Hera, obviously. I didn't even have to think about that) sternly spoke. "Does family mean nothing to you, husband?"

A young female huntress, maybe 12 years old, added, "The boy should get to say good-bye,"

Apollo quietly murmured, "And I thought Ares was selfish,"

Ares heard this and gave him a perfect-ten death glare.

This bickering went on for a minute before the Queen of the gods could hardly stand it anymore. "Peace," She said loudly but gently. Peace was quickly restored in the voices of the Olympians, but I could tell they were still furious inside. This made me feel better. Hera continued. "Now, let my husband explain _why _the child cannot see his mother,"

All eyes once again trained on Zeus. Everyone seemed to be watching his movements, forming ideas of what could have happened. The moment seemed to stretch too long and I could tell they were getting agitated again. I guess Zeus sensed this too, because he finally spoke. "His mother... Well, she's... er, dead,"

The whole scene reminded me of a movie - the dramatic gasps and sobs echoed throughout the room. I thought I'd feel angry, but I only felt empty. I realized how truly alone I was now. No mother. My father is a god. My step-father is a jerk. No other living relatives (besides the ones on my dad's side of the family, but again, their gods). Where would I go? What would I do with my life? There was no way I'd live with Smelly Gabe. I'd rather live in a foster home - or better yet, live on the streets. I'd join a gang and become the gang leader. I'd do anything, as long as I did not have to return home without my mom.

I was so lost in thought that I almost didn't notice that Aphrodite was talking. "How did she die?" She sounded on the verge of tears. I guess the love goddess found me particularly interesting, because she seemed to follow my story with too much emotion. After all, we had only just met this morning.

The air was suffocating. Zeus took a deep breath and squared his shoulders. If he was about to come clean, he was going to do it with confidence. "I had come to get the boy. I warned his mother I was coming, but she wouldn't let me take her son. There was a tremor, and..." He paused. "The room collapsed. I saved the boy, but his mother was already gone,"

My vision tunneled. A tremor?The room just "collapsed"? I was so mad, I had to curl up in a ball to keep from screaming and ninja-kicking Zeus in his big fat nose right now. How could he _lie _like that? It was as if it came easy to him - in fact, all the others believed him, judging by their sympathized comments. Zeus's reputation was too great to be ripped apart by his earlier actions of killing an innocent lady. I bit my tongue and covered my ears. I felt as if I would burst.

"What will we do with him?" Dionysus asked, as if he really didn't care what happened to me, but felt obligated to bring up the topic.

Everybody seemed to think deeply about that.

"We could kill him," Ares helpfully suggested.

No one agreed.

"What about camp?" Demeter said. "He is a demigod, after all. He'll need to train eventually,"

Athena nodded. "The earlier, the better. Besides, he'd be safe there. Chiron would take care of him,"

This proposal seemed to be popular. So they all just found out how pitiful my life was, and they just wanted to ship me off to a camp? I wondered what was wrong with their eternal minds. They were eternally stupid.

Surprisingly, Apollo said something interesting. "Percy could be the prophecy child. We need to protect and train him as best as possible," He shrugged. "Maybe we could keep him here," Like a pet? That was degrading.

"In the throne room?" Hera asked incredulously. "I will not have a filthy half-blood spirit _live _in my throne room!" So much for the goddess of family. Ouch.

"No, Hera! I meant on Olympus."

"And half-bloods are not filthy," Aphrodite added.

I watched the scene in a bit of confusion. What the heck was a half-blood? I looked down at myself. Apparently, I was. I wouldn't say I was "filthy", though. My eyes wandered to Zeus, the idiot who started this all. He was silent, considering all options. The others seemed to like Apollo's idea, but Zeus looked like he would like nothing more than to get rid of me. Funny, he brought me here in the first place. Maybe he should have thought his whole plan through a little more thoroughly. I mentally snorted.

The huntress narrowed her eyes. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but maybe my brother is right,"

Apollo protested.

She (Artemis, I guess) payed no attention to Apollo. "If all of us trained the boy, he could turn out to be very powerful. We would have less to worry about if the prophecy comes true. The boy would more likely be on our side,"

The silence was loud, which really doesn't make much sense, but I wanted it to stop. I was in the dark on this topic. I wanted to pull aside one of the Olympians and force them to tell me everything about this prophecy or whatever. It seemed they knew more about me than I knew about myself. Of course, Aphrodite did know who my father was when I didn't even know I had a father at all.

Athena broke the silence. "You know, this thought just occurred to me. Why do you assume that _Poseidon's _son-" She spat out his name like the nasty black seeds of a watermelon. Poseidon grit his teeth. "-is the prophecy child? After all, you did claim your daughter,"

Their was an annoyed buzz in the other Olympians.

"Couldn't she be the one to fulfill the prophecy? She'd be older, stronger, wiser-"

Poseidon balled his fists and stood up, only to be pushed back down by Zeus.

"You know I would love nothing more than to have my daughter be the hero, but I can't. Because of the sacred laws, I cannot interfere with her fate."

_You sure messed with my fate, stupid._

Apollo nodded like he understood, God of prophecies and all.

The others seemed confused, but neither Zeus nor Apollo offered an explanation.

"So that's it?" Ares said. "We keep the brat-"

Aphrodite hissed, much like the stray cats I always see in the alleys of Manhattan.

"-er, _angel," _Check for approval. Approved.

There wasn't much conversation anymore on that topic. It seemed weird, especially to me. Did they just like, adopt me or something? Because that would have solved about 2,000 problems that ran through my brain.

Aphrodite stood up and smiled like an overly-peppy cheerleader. "Well, I will certainly make sure Percy becomes a fine young man, worthy to have his heart broken by one of my daughters,"

Before the love goddess could go on, the others cut in. I guess they felt slightly guilty for me. Love. I shivered and felt like puking.

"I'm going to help improve his poetry. In time, he may be _almost _as good as me," Apollo decided.

Artemis cringed. Apparently Apollo was as bad as I thought. "Erm, what about medicine? Or archery? Even music would be better for the boy."

Cool, I thought. Apollo waved it away as if it weren't really important, which kind of sunk my boat. "Yeah, yeah. But think of the poetry he could recite. Oh! I think I've got one coming to me." He placed his fingers to his temple all psychic-like. "There once was a goddess from Sparta-"

That was over quite quickly, but not before my eardrums could bleed a little.

"Is the decision final or not, brother?" Poseidon asked with a tone that told me 'no' would not be acceptable. I guess my dad was sticking up for me. He wanted me. That thought made me feel a small fraction better.

Zeus thought. And thought. I think I was holding my breath along with everyone else in the room. I don't know what they were thinking, but I kind of wanted Zeus to say yes. No, I take that back. I _really _wanted Zeus to say yes.

He let out a long sigh, and most everyone started to cheer a little. Zeus didn't even really say yes yet, but I guess we all got the right answer. In fact, I was so happy, I pumped my fist in the air and yelled, "YEAH!"

Big mistake. All eyes turned to me. I gulped and thought about hiding. No point in that now.

"Percy?" Poseidon asked incredulously, like he couldn't believe it was really me standing next to a column at the end of the throne-U (or whatever you would call it).

Hermes blinked. "How long have you been here?"

My throat felt a little dry, but I managed to reply loudly. "Awhile," I felt really guilty all of the sudden. "I'm sorry. I just- I had a nightmare, and-" My voice cracked a little, and I couldn't meet Zeus's eye.

I was suddenly in someone's arms. I looked up to see Aphrodite. I felt like crying for some reason, but I forced myself not to with a sniffle. I remembered a day in preschool when I fell and skinned my knee. It had burned. Of course I cried a little, but one of my friends told me that real men don't cry. Apparently that's what his father always told him. That was the last time I ever cried.

"Why don't we take you back to bed? I'm sure you need lots of rest."

I shook my head. "I'm not tired,"

"I've got an idea," Apollo pitched in. "How about instead of boringly making him go to bed, we have a celebratory party in the pavilion?"

Dionysus grinned. "I like this idea,'

I guess Dionysus was so lazy and bored all the time that the other Olympian's thought it'd be a great idea as well. Not that I minded. Within the hour, a giant party was already in full swing. I milled around, everyone welcoming me. Every living thing on Olympus knew about my "adoption". They found me adorable. Well, at least the girls did. That was just fine with me. I'd only ever been to one party before... actually, now that I think about it, it was more of a torture chamber for me. It was for one of my "female" classmates. Three hours of glitter and ponies. I wanted to yack just thinking about it. Even though I couldn't call myself the "Party Expert" or whatnot, I knew that this Olympian party was better than any party you could get on Earth.

Being on Olympus was a little weird to think about. Now I knew I'd never return to Manhattan. I'd live life as a loved hero among the gods, which I found crazy as well. What was the prophecy that I could be a part of? Why was it so important? What the heck was a prophecy?

My jumbled thoughts were interrupted by a young girl. She was probably a few years older than me, but a lot taller. She definitely wasn't god-tall, but 4 1/2 feet was scary enough. What worsened her look was her short, choppy black hair, electric blue eyes, and black punk clothes. My first thought was that she was some child-thug.

"Hey, cos," She crossed her arms and watched me, absolutely no smile playing out on her lips.

"Cos?"

The girl rolled her eyes. "As in, 'cousin'? That's what 'cos' is short for,"

I cocked my head in confusion. "Why not just say cousin?"

She studied me. "I get the feeling you're one of those kids who are pretty much destined to be stupid their whole life,"

I'm pretty sure she had just insulted me. My shoulders shrugged in reply. Not all family was nice, I guess. Her appearance was scary enough, but when she popped a sucker in her mouth, she crossed the line.

"Um, bye," I said timidly and left. I had that horrible feeling she was following me, or that she'd stop me from leaving, but she didn't. I don't know why I was so scared of my cousin, but I didn't breath normally until I was on the other side of the party from her.

* * *

Tell me if this is a good or bad plan, but I think I'm going to start writing shorter chapters so I can update more often. Hope you enjoyed you beautiful people!


End file.
